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Q99240: Macintosh and Appletalk Stack Limits Imposed

Article: Q99240
Product(s): Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT Networking Issues
Version(s): 1.0,1.0a,2.0,2.1,2.1a,2.2,3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 08-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
- Microsoft LAN Manager, versions 1.0, 1.0a, 2.0, 2.1, 2.1a, 2.2 
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SUMMARY
=======

This article describes the Macintosh and AppleTalk stack limits imposed on
Microsoft LAN Manager and Windows NT Services for Macintosh servers.

MORE INFORMATION
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LAN Manager
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LAN Manager Services for Macintosh (SFM) versions 1.0 and 1.0a allow a maximum of
50 Appleshare clients per server. This limit is imposed by SFP server
architecture (which uses one thread per connected client) and by OS/2, which is
limited to 53 threads per process.

Adding network cards does not allow you to connect more clients because the limit
is in the server process itself, not the protocol. The AppleTalk protocol is
architecturally limited to 255 sessions. When the server has multiple adapters,
AppleTalk can be bound to each one and can route between them. Each adapter
board is registered as a different AppleTalk node, and the actual AFP server
process registers on only one of them. Users on nets connected to other boards
can connect to the server because LAN Manager Services for Macintosh routes
packets to the network that the server appears on.

Windows NT
----------

Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 and Windows NT Server 3.5x and later no longer
impose the 50 client connection or 255 session limitation. AppleTalk sessions
are now limited only by system resources. Potentially, an unlimited number of
clients can attach to a single SFM server.

Additional query words: sfm LMSFM 1.0 1.00 1.0a 1.00a 2.0 2.00 2.1 2.10 2.1a 2.10a 2.2 2.20 3.10 macfile Apple Server share

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Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNT350search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS350 kbWinNTAdvSerSearch kbWinNTS351search kbWinNTS350search kbAudDeveloper kbLanManSearch kbLanMan100 kbLanMan100a kbLanMan200 kbLanMan210 kbLanMan210a kbLanMan220
Version           : :1.0,1.0a,2.0,2.1,2.1a,2.2,3.5,3.51,4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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